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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. U. WALTER. ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNAL.

Patented N. PETERS, Fhulo-Lilhognphcr. Wnshinghm, 01c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. O. WALTER. ELEGTRIO RAILWAY SIGNAL.

110. 421,791. Patented Feb. 18. 1890.

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I ||lll 111 1 1 111 lllllIllllllllllllllllllllllllll]|| 4 ZUzZnesses;[If i/zmzg ar UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIE C. YVALTER, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOGEORGE B. MCADAMS, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,791, dated February18, 1890.

Application filed May 29, 1889. Serial No. 312,501. (No model.)

a full, clear, and exact description of the in-v vention, which willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in electricrailroad-signals.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved electricalsignaling device for trains, whereby the engineers on two trains on thesame track are placed in communication, so that both engineers will benotified by suitable alarms when the trains approach each other, andwhereby the engineers on two trains can control the circuits, so as tobe placed in communication and be able to transmit intelligible signalsfrom one moving train to the other by means of common telegraphkeys andelectric gongs or other alarms on each train, whereby the whistles ofone or both of the trains can be sounded from the other train either asa danger-alarm or to notify of the desire of one engineer to communicatewith the engineer on the other train, or each engineer can so set thesignal that his Whistle will be sounded when another train approacheshim or his train approaches another on the same track, and whereby eachengineer can test his own batteries, gongs, &c., at any time. Theseobjects are accomplished by and my invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and in certain combinations of parts more fullydescribed hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of alength of railroad-track, showing in diagram two trains approaching eachother thereon. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of alocomotive and track. Figs.3 and 4 are details ofparts of the apparatus.

In the drawings, the reference-letter a indicates a railroad-track,having the series of rails on one or both sides electrically conductor,the adjoining ends of the separate rails being preferably connected byshort lengths of copper strips or wire I), soldered or otherwisefastened to the ends of the rails with sufficient slack to allow forexpansion and contraction of the rails. A continuous conductor 0 extendsthe length of the track between any two stations or points, saidconductor being located between the rails and suitably secured to thesleepers or other supports.

In Fig. 1, d and (2 indicate two trains orlocomotives approaching orreceding from each batteries or sources of current f f and theelectrically-operated bells or gongs g g. In each locomotive one pole ofthe source is connected by connections 1 2 with a contact wheel or brushh, located beneath the locomotive or car and running on the centralconductor 0 on the track, and the electric bell is located in thisportion of the circuit between that pole of the battery and saidcontact-wheel. The opposite pole of the source of each car is connectedby connections 3 4t with an axle of its respective car, and through theaxle and wheel to the rails, which form aconductorr Thus it will be seenthat if the circuits in each car were closed when two cars are locatedon a track, as shown in 1, a circuit will be closed between thebatteries and bells of the two cars and over the connected rails andsaid central conductor, thereby sounding the bells and notifying theengineers.

As the connections and devices in each car are similar, the devices inone only will be described.

cated in the locomotive-cab, (or other desirable position in av car;)also, a single-way switch or circuit closer Z, adapted to close acircuit to energize an electro-magnetic device 0, the armature p ofwhich is connected by the cord q with the mechanism or valve for openingthe way for the steam to sound the nected to form a continuouselectrical conother on the track, and provided with the A three-wayswitch 1 is conveniently lowhistle of the locomotive when the magneticdevice 0 is energized. A telegraph-key r is also conveniently located inthe cab, with its stationary and movable contacts normally held fromengagement by a spring, as usual. The switch-leverj of the three-wayswitch '2' is directly connected with one pole of the source fby theconnection 3. The first eon tact'point 7,: of said switch is connectedwith the stationary contact-point of the telegraphk'ey by connection 5.The second point of said switch is connected by connection (5 with theopposite pole of the source through the medium of the connection 2,mechanism of bell and wire 1, and the third contact 70" of the switch isdirectly connected with the conducting-rails through the medium of theconductor 4 and an axle and wheel of the car. The movable contact orlever of the telegraph-key is connected with the conductor at by theconnection 7, and the lever m of the circuit-closer is connected withthe connection at by the connection 8, and the stationary point .91 ofsaid circuit-closer is connected with the connection 2 through themedium of the connections 9 and 10, extending through the magnet 0. Eachstationary point of the three-way switch can be suitably labeled toindicate the circuit closed when the lever is placed on that point;hence, if the engineer wishes to communicate by signals with theengineer of another train, the lever j is placed on the first point 7tand the key operated; or if he wants to test his own apparatus he placesthe switch-lever on the second point It; or if he wants to connect theparts so that the alarm will be sounded by the approach of another trainthe switch-lever is placed 011 the third stationary point 70"; or if hewants to be notified of the approach of another train by the sounding ofhis whistle the engineer places the contacts Z n of the circuitcloser inengagement and throws the switchlever from contact with any-of thepoints of the switch, or the switchlever j can be left in contact withany of said points except the point 7".

\Vhen the switch-lever j of car (Z is placed on first contact l: of theswitch, the circuit in car (Z is from conductor 0 through wheel h, wire2, bell-magnet g, wire 1, battery f wire 3, lever j, point 7s, wire 5,telegraph'key, (when closed,) wire 7, wire 4, and axle and a wheel toand through the conducting-rails to the other car 6, and through thebattery and bell-magnet of that car 6 to the conductor 0, so that whenthe key is closed in train cl the circuit will be closed and the bellrung in car 6. Thus it will be seen that the engineers can have apredetermined key or system of signalin For instance, so many strokes orating his key.

if the engineer wishes to try his batteries and circuits and see ifeverything is in good working order, he short-circuits the source andalarm of his own train by placing the switch-lever on the middlecontact-point 7t", whereby a circuit is formed from one pole of thesource through wire 3, lever j, point 7c, wire 6, wire 2, bell, and wire1 to the opposite pole of the battery, thereby forming acomplete circuitin the car, and if everything is as it should be the bell is sounded.

It the engineer on one train desires to have his whistle sounded uponthe approach of another train, (which other train should have its switchso set that the battery will be included in the circuit from theconducting track-rails through the car to the conductor 0,) he placesthe switch-lever on any of the switch-points, except the middle point7;, and places the movable contact at of the circuitcloser in engagementwith the stationary contact a, thereby placing the whistle-magnet 0 in ashunt-circuit 8, 9, and 10 from the two main conductors 4: and 2. Themagnet o in this shunt-circuit is of less resistance than thebell-magnets, so that the current, when the other train approaches, willnot pass through the bell, but will pass through the shunt-circuit andactuate the whistle-magnet to sound the whistle.

WVhen it is desired to connect the conducting-rails of the track and theconductor c by a circuit through the train, including the source andalarm, so that if the conductingrails and conductors are connected thebell will ring, the switch-lever is placed on the last contact 7t,thereby forming a circuit from conductor 0 through wire 2, bell g, wire1, batteryf, wire 3, lever j, point 7;, and wire 4 to theconducting-rails of the track. Thus it will be seen that if the railsand conductor 0 are electrically connected, as by a circuit throughanother approaching car, the alarms will be sounded and notice given ofdanger in time to prevent an accident.

Fig. 4 shows the manner of securing the central conductor a to andinsulating the same from the supports or sleepers. At each sleeper aslight downward bond is formed in the conducting wire or cable 0, and atthis point the wire is embraced by a tube 0', of insulating material,and the cable is secured to the sleeper by a staple bearing on the tubeand resting in said bend, thereby securing the conductor to andinsulating the same from the sleepers, and the insulating-tubing willbreak the jar of the wheels h when crossing the bends in the wire. 7

In order to avoid the wear and injury to the wheels h which would be theresult when crossing switches and cross-tracks, this wheel is carried bya standard secured to the bottom of the car ortender to allow verticalplay. A horizontal lever h is pivoted beneath the car, and one end isloosely secured to the standard carrying the wheel h, and the oppositeend of this lever is engaged on the upper end by the lower end of apivoted lever z", pivoted to swing in a vertical plane and normallylocated at an angle, as shown, with its handle-end extending up into thecar, so that when the car approaches a switch or crossductor iscontinuous and not broken up into sections or block systems. Thus thedistance that the device will operate between two trains depends on thestrength of the bat teries employed, and the alarms of the trains are incircuit all the time that the trains are on the track; but the bells arenot rung until the resistance of the circuit is sufficiently reduced.

The term car is used throughout the specification as a generic term tocover train, locomotive, or any vehicle on the track.

It is evident that various slight changes might be made in the form andarrangement of the parts described without departing from the spirit andscope of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself to theprecise construction and arrangement herein set forth.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by.

Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. An electric railway-signal consisting of a railroad-track having therails on one side electrically connected at the ends to form acontinuous conductor, a parallel continuous conductor located betweenthe rails and insulated therefrom, two vehicles on the track, eachvehicle provided with a circuit connected with said two conductors, asource of electricity in each circuit, an electric alarm in eachcircuit, each vehicle being provided with a telegraph-key in a shortcircuit from the main circuit, a multiple switch in the main circuit,whereby said key can be thrown into or out of the main circuit, and ashort circuit connecting said alarm, source, and switch, so

that the same can be short-circuited by the switch from said twoconductors, for the purpose set forth.

2. An electric railway-signal consisting of a railroad-track, a pair ofparallel continuous conductors insulated from each other, two movingvehicles on the track, each vehicle being provided with a main electriccircuit connected with said conductors, a source of electricity in saidcircuit, an electric alarm in said circuit, adapted to be sounded whenthe circuit is closed, a multiple switch in said main circuit, a shortcircuit in the vehicle including said switch, source, and alarm, wherebythe same can be short-circuited from said two conductors, for-thepurpose set forth, a telegraph-key in a short circuit from the maincircuit and connected with said switch,

so that'the key can be thrown into or out of the main'circuit, anelectro-magnetic device controlling the whistle-blowing mechanism andlocated in a short circuit from said main circuit, and a circuit-closerin said last-mentioned short circuit, substantially as described.

3. An electric railroad-signal consisting of a track, a pair of parallelconductors insulated fromeach other and extending along the track, apair of moving vehicles on the track, each vehicle having a circuitconnected with said two conductors, a source of electricity in saidcircuit, an electric alarm in the circuit, a multiple switch having itsmovable and a stationary contact connected with the main circuit,'sothat the switch is located in said circuit between one of saidconductors and the source and alarm, a short circuit connected withanother stationary point of said switch and with the main circuitbetween one of said conductors and said source and alarm, for thepurpose set forth, another short circuit connected with anotherstationary point of the switch and said main circuit, and atelegraph-key in said last-mentioned short circuit, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

WILLIE c.v WALTER.

Witnesses:

O. E. DUFFY, O. M. WERLE.

